Bottle of Red Vermouth

[SonarSonarSonar]

Does anyone know if I can bring a bottle of red vermouth on board as my wine bottle?

 

Thanks

[avian777]

I suggest you direct your question to HAL Guest Services - unlike what you'll get on here, the HAL response will be definitive - be sure to get the HAL response in writing and take a copy of the response with you on your cruise.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Tangocherie]

Although Vermouth is technically a wine, who knows how HAL will treat it. If you can't bring a bottle aboard, you can always purchase one from room service at a decent price.

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

I agree that you should check with HAL. But I think I've read here before that HAL does not allow it as it is considered a fortified wine, much like Sherry, and is not permitted. Again give them a call and let us know what you find out. Have a great cruise!

[Fouremco]

The HAL website states that:

 

Each guest 21 years and older may bring one bottle of wine or champagne (no larger than 750ml) onboard in carry-on luggage at the beginning of the voyage.

 

A very curious bit of policy. Does HAL not know that Champagne is wine? Why mention it as if it is a separate entity? I mention this because there have been innumerable threads dealing with the issue of which wines are wines and which wines aren't wines from a HAL perspective. Sherry, port, vermouth... Which of these does HAL allow and which doesn't it allow? It there an official list? If so, who has it? Based on extensive reporting over the years, it's a crap shoot, and on any given day you might be ok or you might not.

 

I think that the best comment on the subject was to the effect that, when boarding, it's the member of the security staff eyeing your bottle who will make the decision. It really doesn't matter if HAL Guest Services has told you that Vermouth is fine if the staff at some port half way around the world decides that wine is wine but fortified wine isn't.

Edited August 29, 2015 by Fouremco

[Wallywagon]

In 2012 I had the same question and asked it via the chat feature on the HAL website. This gave me a written copy of the conversation.

 

I have a question about wine being brought on board.

 

Red vermouth is fortified wine. Does this meet the HAL wine policy for bringing wine on board?

 

Courtney: We are working through all of our emails, I'm sorry you haven't received a response yet. You are allowed to bring that onboard.

Courtney: Yes, we do allow passengers to bring as much wine, champagne, soft drinks and even their own bottled water on our ships, and there is no limit! However, we do not allow beer (even non-alcoholic) or other alcoholic beverages onboard. There will be an added corkage fee of $18 per bottle if wine is consumed in the dining room.

Customer: Thank you for your help.

Courtney: No Problem, Is there anything else I can help you with Today?

Customer: No thanks

Courtney: Thank you for contacting us. It was my pleasure to assist you today, and I hope that I have been able to answer all of your questions .If you have any more questions always feel free to call or chat with us, again my name is Courtney and Have a Wonderful day!

Thank you for using Live Help. You may now close this window.[/color][/i][/color]

 

Things may have changed since then, but the chat feature is a great way to have a quick response in writing.

 

Good luck!

[Bailey & Sophie]

In 2012 I had the same question and asked it via the chat feature on the HAL website. This gave me a written copy of the conversation.

 

Courtney: There will be an added corkage fee of $18 per bottle if wine is consumed in the dining room.

[/color][/i][/color]

 

What if we choose to bring on more than 2 bottles and NOT drink them in the dining room? To me, this says I can bring on unlimited bottles and only be charged if I bring them to the DR. I want to drink them on my verandah and NOT the DR. Still a corkage fee?

[Fouremco]

What if we choose to bring on more than 2 bottles and NOT drink them in the dining room? To me, this says I can bring on unlimited bottles and only be charged if I bring them to the DR. I want to drink them on my verandah and NOT the DR. Still a corkage fee?

Courtney has told the truth but not the whole truth. There will be any $18 corkage fee whether you drink it in the MDR, your cabin or lying in the scuppers. There will also be an $18 corkage fee if you never drink it at all. Point is, bringing the bottle onboard generates the fee, not where or if you drink it.

[POA1]

In 2012 I had the same question and asked it via the chat feature on the HAL website. This gave me a written copy of the conversation.

 

I have a question about wine being brought on board.

 

Red vermouth is fortified wine. Does this meet the HAL wine policy for bringing wine on board?

 

Courtney: We are working through all of our emails, I'm sorry you haven't received a response yet. You are allowed to bring that onboard.

Courtney: Yes, we do allow passengers to bring as much wine, champagne, soft drinks and even their own bottled water on our ships, and there is no limit! However, we do not allow beer (even non-alcoholic) or other alcoholic beverages onboard. There will be an added corkage fee of $18 per bottle if wine is consumed in the dining room.

Customer: Thank you for your help.

Courtney: No Problem, Is there anything else I can help you with Today?

Customer: No thanks

Courtney: Thank you for contacting us. It was my pleasure to assist you today, and I hope that I have been able to answer all of your questions .If you have any more questions always feel free to call or chat with us, again my name is Courtney and Have a Wonderful day!

Thank you for using Live Help. You may now close this window.[/color][/i][/color]

 

Things may have changed since then, but the chat feature is a great way to have a quick response in writing.

 

Good luck!

The policy changed in 2014. I'm not sure that the 2012 chat transcript would help much. (Not trying to be mean. It's just that the chat doesn't really apply.)

Edited August 29, 2015 by POA1

[taxmantoo]

The policy changed in 2014. I'm not sure that the 2012 chat transcript would help much. (Not trying to be mean. It's just that the chat doesn't really apply.)

 

It should be noted that the policy change did not affect the "type" of wine brought on board but rather how the corkage fee was applied to bottles over the allowable one per person ... at embarkation rather than when actually opened in a restaurant or bar.

[sail7seas]

I suggest you direct your question to HAL Guest Services - unlike what you'll get on here, the HAL response will be definitive - be sure to get the HAL response in writing and take a copy of the response with you on your cruise.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Sadly, not all phone reps are as well trained and experienced as we would like to think. We cannot always depend upon their responses to be absolutely accurate.

 

 

What if we choose to bring on more than 2 bottles and NOT drink them in the dining room? To me, this says I can bring on unlimited bottles and only be charged if I bring them to the DR. I want to drink them on my verandah and NOT the DR. Still a corkage fee?

 

One bottle of wine or champagne, per adult person, at no corkage fee.

No matter where you plan to drink any additional bottles, there will be a corkage fee for all above the allotted one per person.

 

You can bring wine aboard at embarkation port as well as any port along the way. You will be charged corkage if you bring it aboard from a port along the way even if that is the first bottle you have brought.

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

I suggest you direct your question to HAL Guest Services - unlike what you'll get on here, the HAL response will be definitive - be sure to get the HAL response in writing and take a copy of the response with you on your cruise.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

I agree! Technically it is a wine, but do so with ship services! Those HAL reps sometimes give info that is not always correct!

Our wine conisuer is POA-1 I know he would know.

Since I have not read all CC posts, maybe POA-1 has chimed in already!

Happy sailings!

Denise:)

[catl331]

There will also be an $18 corkage fee if you never drink it at all. Point is, bringing the bottle onboard generates the fee, not where or if you drink it.

 

You can bring wine aboard at embarkation port as well as any port along the way. You will be charged corkage if you bring it aboard from a port along the way even if that is the first bottle you have brought.

 

If you intend to bring home wine bought in an en-route port you can have it held for you until debarkation without paying the fee.

Edited August 29, 2015 by catl331

[Fouremco]

If you intend to bring home wine bought in an en-route port you can have it held for you until debarkation without paying the fee.

Your quite right. When I talked of bringing it aboard, I meant in the context of taking it to one's cabin, not leaving it to be held until final disembarkation.

Edited August 29, 2015 by Fouremco

[POA1]

I agree! Technically it is a wine, but do so with ship services! Those HAL reps sometimes give info that is not always correct!

Our wine conisuer is POA-1 I know he would know.

Since I have not read all CC posts, maybe POA-1 has chimed in already!

Happy sailings!

Denise:)

 

Thanks, but I'm not really a vermouth person. On the rare occasion when I have a martini, I like it very dry -- as in so dry that there's just a moment of silence for the vermouth.

 

If the check in person is paying attention, vermouth might be a problem. It's a fortified, wine-based aperitif - basically an aromatized, fortified wine. My guess is that you'd have better luck with a less common brand, like Noilly Prat, Carpano or Boissiere. Cinzano and Martini & Rossi are pretty recognizable as vermouth.

 

If you are sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, the Total Wine store has Cocchi, whose bottle looks a lot like regular wine.

 

http://www.totalwine.com/wine/dessert-fortified-wine/vermouth/cocchi-vermouth-di-torino/p/116922750?s=904&igrules=true

Edited August 29, 2015 by POA1